Pokémon Legends: Z-A ($69.99, reviewed on Switch 2 but also available for the Switch) follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, in both concept and execution. It establishes Pokémon Legends as a proper side series separate from main titles like Scarlet/Violet, and it features exciting, real-time combat that brings freshness to the fights. And much like how Arceus influenced movement in Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, I'd love to see some Z-A ideas carry over to the next mainline title. But it's a shame that the game's lifeless urban backdrop feels even smaller than Arceus' semi-open world.

Story: A Return to Pokémon X and Y

Z-A takes place in Lumiose City, the largest city in the Kalos region that was last seen in Pokémon X and Y. It's inspired by Paris, if the big, Eiffel Tower-shaped Prism Tower in the center of town didn't make that clear. The Prism Tower is currently undergoing renovations managed by Quasartico Inc., the Lumiose-based corporation responsible for setting up special Wild Zones in the city for wild Pokémon to roam. That same company manages the Z-A Royale tournament that has Pokémon trainers competing with each other at night to find out who's the best.

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Kalos is also the region where Mega Evolutions first appeared, introduced as a mechanic in Pokémon X and Y. It lets trainers trigger special Pokémon transformations, making the monsters much more powerful for a short time. In Z-A, Lumiose City has been seeing a new phenomenon known as Rogue Mega Evolutions. That's when Pokémon undergo Mega Evolutions without trainers and cause havoc. As a newcomer to the city, you're recruited to solve the mystery of what's causing it.

The stories in Pokémon games are usually flimsy, and Z-A's tale isn't much different. It's about as fleshed-out as a main series Pokémon game, with a few more twists than Pokémon Legends: Arceus' plot. You catch Pokémon, get into the occasional wacky hijinks, and save the city.

Gameplay: Exciting, Real-Time Pokémon Battles

As you'd expect, Z-A's gameplay focuses on collecting Pokémon and pitting them against wild Pokémon and other trainers' critters. It expands Arceus' combat structure, a system that distinguishes itself from the mainline Pokémon series games by letting you actively move your character during clashes. The difference? Arceus features turn-based fights, while Z-A lets you make decisions in real-time. 

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You can summon a Pokémon from its Poké Ball at any time, at which point you can have it attack nearby pocket monsters or certain parts of the environment. Each Pokémon has four moves, which are mapped to the corresponding face buttons. The attacks have cooldown timers that vary in length depending on the move's power, so you can't spam them. It's a more engaging and entertaining way to play Pokémon. It requires you to watch when your Pokémon's move icons light up, establishing different rhythms depending on your attacks and how long their animations take (you can only use one move at a time).

With few exceptions, you'll fight in either Wild Zones or Battle Zones. Wild Zones are designated areas in the city where wild Pokémon are found. It's also where you catch Pokémon for your team. They're fairly small locations with a handful of different Pokémon, which will either ignore you until you attack them or attack you on sight. If the former occurs, you can crouch and throw Pokémon to try to catch them like in Arceus. If the latter happens, you must carefully watch your surroundings, because multiple Pokémon can swarm you if given the opportunity. Even more hazardous, red-eyed Alpha versions of Pokémon roam Wild Zones, and they're more aggressive and powerful than ordinary pocket monsters.

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Unlike Wild Zones, Battle Zones only appear at night, and they’re where the Z-A Royale primarily takes place. The game runs on a day-night cycle, with days lasting twice as long as nights. As a result, Battle Zone competitions feel rushed. Fortunately, you can sit on public benches to skip to the start of the next day or night.

You won't catch Pokémon in Battle Zones, but you'll earn points that let you participate in a promotion match with a prominent trainer. You'll also earn battle medals that are converted at the end of the night into money, currency used to stock up on much-needed healing items and purchase cool character outfits in Lumiose's various boutiques.

Battle Zones are also littered with glowing cards containing objectives that task you with, for example, ambushing some trainers or using super-effective moves on a Pokémon a certain number of times. These reward you with many extra challenge points and battle medals, incentivizing you to participate.

Finally, you'll fight Rogue Mega Evolution Pokémon threatening to rampage through the city. These replace Arceus' awkward Frenzied Noble Pokemon boss fights and are thankfully much closer to regular Pokemon battles. Instead of pelting your target with snacks to calm them down, you attack them with your Pokémon. Your habits won't be very effective, though, as Rogue Mega Evolutions take little damage from normal moves. You must keep chipping away and collecting glowing Mega Energy pieces during the fight to fill a meter that lets you Mega Evolve your Pokémon (if it has a Mega Evolution form and is holding the necessary Mega Stone) for a short period of time. That levels the playing field.

Even if your favorite Pokémon lacks a Mega Evolution, you can wear down the target with patience by leveraging the Mega meter to unleash special Plus attacks that do more damage. Of course, like in Arceus, you’re as vulnerable as your Pokémon, and can get easily knocked out if you don't avoid the enemy's moves. The penalty? You must replay the battle.

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This new combat style is as refreshing as it is engaging, and I would be thrilled to see it become a mainstay mechanic in future Pokémon games. Developer Game Freak is likely hesitant to drop turn-based battles from main series games, but Z-A's system is just as robust and strategic while adding extra action.

There's lots of monster variety, too. I encountered more than 200 different Pokémon, with several dozen having Mega Evolutions. Most are confined to the Wild Zones, but you'll find Pidgeys, Patrats, and Trubbishes in alleys and on rooftops as if they were pigeons, rats, and garbage bags in any large city. That's a charming touch, and sadly one of the surprisingly few Z-A elements that embrace the urban setting. 

Lumiose City: Like Paris, But Boring

Lumiose City is still the largest setting in any main series Pokémon game, even a dozen years after Pokémon X/Y. However, even expanded for Z-A, it feels small. It isn't a map size problem; it's an aesthetic problem.

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Lumiose City is built like a large wheel, a perfect circle with the Prism Tower at its center, and wedge-shaped districts surrounding it. The districts are named after various colors in French: Bleu District, Rouge District, and so on. Naturally, you'd expect each section to reflect a different color as a foundation for its visual identity. That's not the case in Z-A.

No matter where you go in Lumiose City, it all looks the same. Almost every building is gray, brown, or beige, featuring classically European-style architectural elements, such as rectangular windows and short, steep roofs. Blues and steel grays of scaffolding punctuate some streets, and green trees line most major thoroughfares to break up the city's otherwise neutral palette. Each district's color is showcased in an unusual way: through flags and rooftops. The flags are bright and vibrant, but only hang over the largest streets. The roofs are much less saturated and only catch your eye if you're already on one and looking around.

Besides the Prism Tower, there are not enough landmarks to distinguish the different city sections. You'll find parks, cafes, canals, fountains, and tennis court-like Pokémon arenas around the city, but they don't add personality to a given area. For example, Cafe Kizuna in the Jaune Sector, located in the northeast, resembles Cafe Gallant in the Magenta Sector to the west, with nearly identical sidewalks and avenues, and even offers similar views of the Prism Tower. It's all very bland.

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You won't find any bicycles or rideable Pokémon, either. So, besides fast travel between map points, your only way to get around the city is on foot. For a city based on Paris, not having a bike is baffling. 

Besides the uninspiring architecture, Z-A looks fine. Pokémon's simple anime style lends itself well to playful, cartoonish visuals. It doesn’t lend itself well to loads of detail, though, so don’t expect mind-blowing graphical fidelity. It’s a polished and clean aesthetic, and on the Switch 2, Z-A looks sharp and generally runs smoothly.

Not Much to Do Besides Fighting

There aren't any themed Pokémon gyms like in main series games, and Z-A Royale challengers are the closest thing you'll get to gym leaders. Most of them have colorful personalities, but you'll fight them by approaching them or performing a mission in the city. It lacks the impact of visiting a gym. Few dungeon-like areas mean nearly everything occurs on the monotonous Lumiose City streets.

You can find dozens upon dozens of sidequests around the city, though most of them are one-note battles where a trainer tells you about the element, status effect, or other gimmick they really like and then challenges you to fight a team based on that concept. The others might be little fetch quests or challenges to wrangle up certain Pokémon, but there's little variety. A few reward rare Pokémon, but most others provide useful items and money, like candies you can feed to your Pokémon to increase their levels.

Research missions return from Arceus, and like in that game, they're basically an achievement list that tracks how many Pokémon you catch of a certain type or in a particular location. You'll earn some good Pokémon moves by grinding, but you'll also end up with many identical Pokémon you can't do anything with besides release them.

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Z-A has the usual multiplayer features you expect from a Pokémon game: You can trade Pokémon with your friends and battle teams locally or online. And, following tradition, trading is necessary to evolve some Pokémon.

Playing with buddies online is mildly annoying because, even when they're on your Switch friends list, you still need to share a passcode to connect with each other. That said, I was able to get my Alakazam and Machamp with ease. You can also participate in ranked battles with the Z-A Battle Club, which rewards you with unique items like rare Mega Stones. You're on your own for the main game story, as Z-A lacks a co-op mode that lets you explore Lumiose with friends.